Caramel Brownie Bars

Are you craving a yummy, chocolatey caramel bar? I had found this on Facebook and I thought, "YUM!!! I need to make this!" So here it is!

Ingredients 

• 1 box of Betty Crocker brownie mix
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 c. water
• 2/3 c. vegetable oil
• 3 cups of pretzels
• 1 jar of caramel sauce (or in my case, 2 bags of Werther's chewy caramels) ;)
• sea salt

Step 1.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Take a 9x13 pan and line it with parchment paper.

Step 2.
Prepare the box of brownie mix according to the box.
 

Step 3.
Pour 1/3 of the batter onto the parchment paper and spread evenly. Lay down the pretzels evenly over the brownie mix.  Spoon the remaining brownie mix over the pretzels completely and let it seep into every crack. After the oven is preheated to 350 degrees put the bars in the oven for 30 minutes.

Step 4.
After the 30 minutes of baking are up, you can poke a toothpick in and if it comes out clean it is done. :)

Step 5.                                                                                                                                                       

The directions I found on Facebook said to use a jar of caramel, but sadly I could not find any at the local gas station so I grabbed 2 bags of Werther's chewy caramels. I unwrapped the caramels, placed them in a bowl and melted them in the microwave until they were a creamy caramel sauce. Though, I would definitely suggest using caramel sauce. ;)

 

Step 6.
After you pour the caramel sauce onto the bars and they are cooled, pinch some sea salt onto the bars and voilà! YUMMY, YUMMY CARAMEL BROWNIE BARS!! :)

Chocolate Charge Bars

Chocolate Charge Bars!

 Okay, this recipe is for those of you who want to

satisfy your chocolate craving!

This was a simple and fun bar to make. This is not a recipe I would make for an ordinary occasion. To me, this is something a bit more special....so, I tried it when my entire family was home! 

All you will need are your favorite prepared chocolate chip cookie and

fudge brownie (I added chocolate chips to my brownies) recipes along with a package of Oreos.   (We used both the original and the mint stuffed cookies....whichever you prefer). 

Both were awesome!

Pat your cookie dough (approx. 1/2 inch thick) on the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan.  Arrange 20 Oreo cookies on top of the cookie dough. 

 Pour your brownie batter on top of the Oreo Cookies. 

  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until done.

 When warm these bars taste like one rich brownie! They are an excellent choice to serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! 

When left to cool you can taste and enjoy the distinct layers. 

  

This is definitely a real treat for your next gathering or when you are truly craving chocolate and need a charge! 

Enjoy!

Halloween Treats!

Seeing Tricia's post for Mummy Suckers (click here for that!) reminded me of our little Halloween party last year at my parent's house. After going out trick or treating, we brought the younger kids back home to a brownie decorating competition and a spread of "Halloween themed" treats. Of course, after everyone had their snacks, we all piled in the living room to watch Tim Burton's "The Nightmare before Christmas". I had taken a picture of our treats last year for fun, but realized it came in handy for a post today. And just in time for you to plan the treats you'll be serving on that candy-filled night! :)

1. "Pumpkin Poop" 

Fill sandwich bags with cheese puffs. Decorate some cardstock paper and write a little poem. "I started to carve a pumpkin with my carving knife and scoop, but the pumpkin got so scared that he took a little poop!" Fold the paper over the sealed bag and staple in place.

2. "10 Finger Punch"

Fill two (2) clean, latex-free gloves with water or cranberry juice. Twist closed and tie tightly with a twist tie or rubberband. Place flat in the freezer and let rest until fully frozen. After preparing your punch, 

remove the "hands" and carefully peel or cut the glove off. Place in your punch bowl. :)

3. "Pumpkin Soda"

This one is very easy, but is super cute. Just get a 2-liter bottle of your favorite orange soda, peel off the label, and draw a jack-o-lantern face with a black Sharpie marker!

4.  "Candy Corn Parfaits"

To help make this night a little bit healthier, we made some parfaits layered with pineapple on the bottom, then peaches, and topped with whipped cream. (You could switch it up and use bananas or lemon pudding, and mandarin oranges, too. Whatever you like!)

5.  "Haunted House Brownie Competition"

This was one that the kids really had fun with. We made brownies using a haunted house mold and let them cool completely while we went out. When we got home from trick or treating, the kids were able to use all sorts of frosting, candies, and sprinkles to create their masterpieces. We did boys vs. girls and they had fun with it! The girls really tried to make theirs look nice, but the boys thought the more frosting and candy they could load on top, the better! :)

Happy Halloween! :)

Butternut Squash Hash

This time of year is always the best to incorporate those bold, rustic flavors into your meals. Flavorful stews, spicy sausage pasta dishes, and, of course, the rich taste of roasted squash. I was a little unsure of this dish when I first saw it on the Urban Poser blog, but once I made it, we knew it was a keeper! We've made it quite a few times now, and we will definitely be making it many more. Tony doesn't even like squash, but he loves this stuff!

Recipe adapted from The Urban Poser

Ingredients

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed

2 large, crisp apples, cored and diced

1 large red onion, diced

7 slices uncooked bacon, diced

2 Tbsp. scallions, finely chopped

salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to broil.

After prepping the ingredients, heat a large skillet over a medium heat.

While the skillet is heating up, spread the diced butternut squash out evenly onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

 Place under the broiler and let it cook until it starts to get brown spots and develops a "skin" (stirring halfway through). This takes about 10-15 minutes. Watch it closely so that it doesn't burn too much. 

While the butternut squash is baking, add the bacon to the preheated skillet. 

Cook till crispy, then scoop onto a plate lined with paper towels to drain. 

Using the same skillet, keep about 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat on the bottom and add onion.

Cook just until onion starts to soften.

Add all the roasted butternut squash and the apples to the skillet, and season with salt & pepper.

Gently stir once, then let it cook until apples begin to soften. (You may need to scrape the bottom a couple times, but don't over stir otherwise it will get mushy!)

Add the bacon pieces and scallions before serving.

*This is a great dish to serve with fried eggs. :)

(Directions with Photos)

Preheat the oven to broil.

After prepping the ingredients, heat a large skillet over a medium heat.

While the skillet is heating up, spread the diced butternut squash out evenly onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Place under the broiler and let it cook until it starts to get brown spots and develops a "skin" (stirring halfway through). This takes about 10-15 minutes. Watch it closely so that it doesn't burn too much.

While the butternut squash is baking, add the bacon to the preheated skillet. 

(I don't have a big, cast-iron skillet, so I just used a pot that we have.)

Cook till crispy, then scoop onto a plate lined with paper towels to drain. 

Using the same skillet, keep about 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat on the bottom and add the onion.

Cook just until onion begins to soften.

Once the squash is done, and the onions are softened, you're ready to start putting it all together! :)

Add all the roasted butternut squash and the apples to the skillet, and season with salt & pepper.

Gently stir once, then let it cook until the apples begin to soften. 

(You may need to scrape the bottom a couple times, but don't over-stir otherwise it will get mushy!)

Add the bacon pieces and scallions before serving.

(*If you divide this recipe to serve 6, each serving is 6 points on Weight Watchers.)

Buffalo Chicken Bites

If you haven't noticed already, my husband and I are big fans of buffalo chicken dishes. And we're not the only ones in the family known to eat it up! My Mom makes an amazing Buffalo Chicken Stromboli that is to die for! Using that idea as a base, Tony and I decided to make some bite-size pieces to eat for dinner and freeze the rest for later. 

Ingredients

1 1/2-2 cooked chicken breasts, cubed or shredded

1/2 c. buffalo sauce

1 pizza crust, unbaked (store-bought or homemade)

1/4 c. ranch dressing

1/4 c. buffalo sauce

2 c. mozzarella (or pepper jack) cheese, shredded

Olive oil spray

garlic powder

Directions

In a large skillet, heat the cooked chicken and the 1/2 cup buffalo sauce until simmering. 

Let it simmer and stir occasionally until the chicken soaks up most of the sauce.

Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

While the chicken is cooling, roll your dough out onto a floured surface. 

Shape in into a long, fairly narrow rectangle.

In a small bowl, stir together the ranch dressing and the remaining 1/4 cup buffalo sauce.

Spread mixture evenly onto the dough, leaving about 1-1 1/2 inches around the edges.

Sprinkle cooled chicken on top.

Sprinkle cheese over the chicken.

Tightly tuck edges in and roll lengthwise to create a small, long tube. 

Tuck ends underneath.

Using a sharp knife, cut into 1 inch slices.

Place rounds on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Lightly spray with oil and sprinkle with garlic powder.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

**If you want to freeze these bites, you can place them on the cookie sheet and put them directly in the freezer instead of the oven. Once firm and frozen, remove from cookie sheet and transfer to a large freezer bag. When ready to serve, remove from freezer, place on cookie sheet. Let thaw up to 12 hours in the refrigerator. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown.

(Directions with Photos)

In a large skillet, heat the cooked chicken and the 1/2 cup buffalo sauce until simmering. 

Let it simmer and stir occasionally until the chicken soaks up most of the sauce.

Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

While the chicken is cooling, roll your dough out onto a floured surface. 

Shape into a long, fairly narrow rectangle.

In a small bowl, stir together the ranch dressing and the remaining 1/4 cup buffalo sauce.

Spread mixture evenly onto the dough, leaving about 1-1 1/2 inches around the edges.

Sprinkle cooled chicken on top.

Sprinkle cheese over the chicken.

Tightly tuck edges in and roll lengthwise to create a small, long tube. 

Tuck ends underneath.

Using a sharp knife, cut into 1 inch slices.

Place rounds on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Lightly spray with oil and sprinkle with garlic powder.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Eat plain, or serve with a side of buffalo sauce, ranch dressing, and/or Bleu cheese dressing!

Gift Bag Pocket

My little brother's birthday is coming up this week, and as I was wrapping his gift, I thought the package looked a little boring. I got the plain, brown bag from Caribou Coffee when my husband got coffee beans. I don't like throwing them away because they are nice, sturdy, and they make good gift bags. Unfortunately, they just look a little too "brown paper baggish".

I decided to dress it up with a pocket to fill with candy! I used an old pair of Tony's shorts that had holes in them. I knew I was hanging onto those old things for something. ;)

**If you don't have cargo pockets, denim would be really cute, too!

Texas Caviar

While visiting Tennessee this past summer, my mother-in-law shared a snack with the family. She pulled out a large container filled with a fresh vegetable mixture and a bag of tortilla chips. It was Texas Caviar and it was delicious! Everyone couldn't stop eating it, and my husband commented that we needed to get the recipe. Unfortunately, I never remembered to get the actual recipe from her, so Tony and I attempted to make it tonight to the best of our memories. I'd say it turned out pretty close! :)

*I'm pretty sure she put corn in hers, but we didn't have any on hand. If you have some, go ahead and throw it in! 

Ingredients

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can whole kernel corn, rinsed and drained, optional

3/4 cup red onion, diced

1 c. tomatoes, diced

1 c. sweet bell peppers, diced (green, red, and yellow)

1-2 Tbsp. canned spicy jalapeno peppers, minced

1 Tbsp. cilantro, finely chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 c. lime juice

*********************************************************************

Directions with Photos

Rinse and drain the black beans and place in a medium-sized bowl.

(You could also use black eyed peas, if you prefer.)

Dice remaining ingredients.

(If you like spiciness, add more jalapeno. If you don't like the heat, you can omit the jalapeno completely.)

Add lime juice and gently stir.

You can eat it right away, but it's best after it's refrigerated overnight so the flavors meld together.

Serve with your favorite tortilla chips. :)